Unfolding the sulcus

Sulci are localized furrows on the surface of soft materials that form by a compression-induced instability. We unfold this instability by breaking its natural scale and translation invariance, and compute a limiting bifurcation diagram for sulcfication showing that it is a scale-free, subcritical nonlinear instability. In contrast with classical nucleation, sulcification is continuous, occurs in purely elastic continua and is structurally stable in the limit of vanishing surface energy. During loading, a sulcus nucleates at a point with an upper critical strain and an essential singularity in the linearized spectrum. On unloading, it quasistatically shrinks to a point with a lower critical strain, explained by breaking of scale symmetry. At intermediate strains the system is linearly stable but nonlinearly unstable with no energy barrier. Simple experiments confirm the existence of these two critical strains.     

ABSOLUTELY UNSTABLE WAVES IN INVISCID HYDROELASTIC SYSTEMS

The effect of inviscid plug flow on the stability of several hydroelastic systems is investigated by determining the absolute or convective nature of the instability from the linear dispersion relation. The fluid-structure systems consist of plates and membranes with bounded and unbounded flow. A method is proposed to derive systematically in parameter space the boundary between convective and absolute instability, based on the particular symmetries of the dispersion relation as originally noted by Crighton and Oswell. This method is then applied to the case of plates with superimposed tension, thick plates with rotary inertia and walls made of plates or membranes bounding channel flow, oscillating in a sinuous or varicose mode of deformation. A relation is drawn with solutions by previous authors for plates, for pipes and for the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability with surface tension. To illustrate these results some temporal evolutions are calculated by using an integration in the wavenumber space. Based on the large set of new cases solved in the paper some general trends are discussed as to the influence of flow velocity, confinement and structural stiffness on the existence of absolutely unstable waves in inviscid hydroelastic systems.     

Capillary pressure and contact line force on a soft solid

The surface free energy, or surface tension, of a liquid interface gives rise to a pressure jump when the interface is curved. Here we show that a similar capillary pressure arises at the interface of soft solids. We present experimental evidence that immersion of a thin elastomeric wire into a liquid induces a substantial elastic compression due to the solid capillary pressure at the bottom. We quantitatively determine the effective surface tension from the elastic displacement field and find a value comparable to the liquid-vapor surface tension. Most importantly, these results also reveal the way the liquid pulls on the solid close to the contact line: the capillary force is not oriented along the liquid-air interface, nor perpendicularly to the solid surface, as previously hypothesized, but towards the interior of the liquid.     

Contribution of surface tension energy during plastic deformation of nanomaterials

The surface tension energy of crystallites in polycrystalline materials having different microstructures and in nanomaterials has been estimated. A hypothesis is proposed, according to which the yield stress of materials is determined by the balance of elastic energy and the surface tension energy of crystallites. The independently measured value of surface energy can be used to estimate the yield stress of polycrystalline materials.     

各向异性表面张力对定向凝固中共晶生长形态稳定性的影响

研究各向异性表面张力对定向凝固中共晶生长形态稳定性的影响.应用多重变量展开法导出了共晶界面表达式和扰动振幅的变化率满足的色散关系.结果表明,共晶生长系统有两种整体不稳定性机理:由非震荡导致的"交换稳定性"机理和由震荡导致的"整体波动不稳定性"机理.震荡有四种典型模式,即:反对称-反对称(AA-),对称-反对称(SA-)、反对称-对称(AS-)和对称-对称(SS-)模式.稳定性分析表明:共晶界面形态稳定性取决于Peclet数ε的某一个临界值ε_*,当ε大于临界值ε_*时,共晶界面形态不稳定;当ε小于临界值ε_*时,共晶界面形态稳定.随着各向异性表面张力增大,对应于AA-,SA-和SS-模式的临界值ε_(aa*),ε_(sa*)和ε_(ss*)随之减小,表明各向异性表面张力减小这三种模式的稳定性区域;然而,随着各向异性表面张力增大,对应于AS-模式的临界值ε_(as*)随之增大,表明各向异性表面张力增大AS-模式的稳定性区域.     

黏性、表面张力和磁场对Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性气泡演化影响的理论分析

采用理论分析的方法考察了磁场中非理想流体中Rayleigh-Taylor(RT)不稳定性气泡的演化过程,在与磁场垂直的平面中,综合考虑流体黏性和表面张力的影响,推导了二维非理想磁流体RT不稳定性气泡运动的控制方程组,给出了不同情况下气泡速度的渐近解和数值解,分析了流体黏性、表面张力和磁场对气泡发展的影响,分析结果表明:流体黏性和表面张力能够降低气泡速度和振幅,即能够抑制RT不稳定性;而磁场对RT不稳定性的影响是由非线性部分引起的,并且磁场非线性部分的方向决定了磁场是促进还是抑制RT不稳定性的发展,     

Microtexture and microstructure evolution during necking in a Zr-1% Nb alloy

The evolution of a microstructure and Schmid factors during tension under necking conditions are analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction. The oscillatory instability of the plastic flow in the deformation zone in the hardening-softening mode is found to be related to geometrical hardening (softening) during the reorientation of easy slip planes in grains with respect to the loading axis. A relation between the activities of various slip systems and the evolution of quantitative microstructure parameters is revealed.     

Failure mechanisms of graphene under tension

Recent experiments established pure graphene as the strongest material known to mankind, further invigorating the question of how graphene fails. Using density functional theory, we reveal the mechanisms of mechanical failure of pure graphene under a generic state of tension at zero temperature. One failure mechanism is a novel soft-mode phonon instability of the K1 mode, whereby the graphene sheet undergoes a phase transition and is driven towards isolated hexagonal rings resulting in a reduction of strength. The other is the usual elastic instability corresponding to a maximum in the stress-strain curve. Our results indicate that finite wave vector soft modes can be the key factor in limiting the strength of monolayer materials.     

3D打印贝壳仿生复合材料的拉伸力学行为

采用硬质和软质双组分材料,通过调控两种基体材料的装配夹角,采用光固化3D打印技术制备了不同装配方式的仿贝壳珍珠层复合材料,开展了准静态拉伸实验,结合扫描电镜观察,分析了其拉伸力学性能、断裂及能量耗散机理。研究结果表明,保持胞元边长不变,随着面内装配角度增加,仿贝壳珍珠层复合材料的强度呈线性增加趋势,断裂应变呈线性减小的趋势;随着面外装配角度增大,断裂应变呈线性减小趋势,而强度在面外装配角小于45°时呈增强趋势,超过45°时趋于稳定;面外装配角度为45°时,材料的强度达到最大值。试样在断裂前主要通过硬质材料的拔出、软/硬相界面处微裂纹的生成及微裂纹在扩展过程中的合并和偏转等方式耗散能量。     

Vacuum energy in the presence of dielectric and conducting surfaces

The polarization of the electromagnetic vacuum is examined in the neighborhood of dielectric and conducting surfaces and the energy associated with this polarization is shown to depend on a cutoff related to the microstructure of the boundary. The appearance of the cutoff permits the vacuum energy to be expressed in terms of a surface tension and certain higher shape tensions. For the case of a dielectric boundary the surface tension reproduces the Schmitt-Lucas formula which accounts reasonably for the observed surface tensions of many materials. The curvature tension is also calculated and it seems the effect of this energy may well be accessible to experimental verification. For the case of perfectly conducting surfaces the first four shape tensions are calculated. It is shown that previous calculations of the vacuum energy due to perfectly conducting surfaces are in error and these errors are corrected.     

界面张力对Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性的影响

将具有简单速度势的Layzer模型和Zufiria模型推广至非理想流体情况, 并分别利用这两种模型研究了界面张力对Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性的影响. 首先得到了两种模型下气泡的渐近速度和渐近曲率的解析表达式; 其次系统研究了界面张力对气泡的渐近速度和渐近曲率的影响; 最后将两种模型进行了比较, 并将气泡的渐近速度和数值模拟进行了比较. 研究表明: 界面张力压低了气泡的速度, 但对曲率没有影响; 利用简单速度势的Layzer模型所得的气泡的渐近速度比复杂速度势的Layzer模型的值小, 但是比Zufiria模型的值大; 当阿特伍德数等于1时, 简单速度势的Layzer模型和复杂速度势的Layzer模型给出的结果一致. 关键词： Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性 界面张力 Layzer模型 Zufiria模型     

Formation mechanism of H2Ti3O7 nanotubes

Formation mechanism of H2Ti3O7 nanotubes by single-step reaction of crystalline TiO2 and NaOH has been investigated via transmission electron microscopy examinations of series specimens with different reaction times and extensive ab initio calculations. It was found that the growth mechanism includes several steps. Crystalline TiO2 reacts with NaOH, forming a highly disordered phase, which recrystallized into some H2Ti3O7 thin plates. H-deficiency on the top surface leads to an asymmetrical environment for the surface Ti3O2-7 layer. The calculations of the surface tension, elastic strain energy, interlayer coupling energy, and Coulomb force indicated that the asymmetrical environment is the principal driving force of the cleavage of the single sheets of H2Ti3O7 from the plates and the formation of the multiwall spiral nanotubes.     

无氧铜环颈缩区孔洞长大与局域化温升效应研究

 利用金相显微镜,对电磁加载下无氧铜（M态TU1）环碎片的颈缩部位进行了金相分析,观察到了颈缩区孔洞长大、汇通及孔洞壁熔化现象。利用球形孔洞模型,分析了颈缩区孔洞长大条件,发现周向偏应力更适合于描述膨胀环颈缩区的孔洞长大。据此,讨论了颈缩区的局域化温升效应。研究结果为延性金属环膨胀颈缩失稳的细观机理研究提供参考。     

Criterion for extensional necking instability in polymeric fluids

We study the linear instability with respect to necking of a filament of polymeric fluid undergoing uniaxial extension. Contrary to the widely discussed Considère criterion, we find the onset of instability to relate closely to the onset of downward curvature in the time (and so strain) evolution of the zz component of the molecular strain, for extension along the z axis. In establishing this result numerically across five of the most widely used models of polymer rheology, and by analytical calculation, we argue it to apply generically. Particularly emphasized is the importance of polymer chain stretching in partially mitigating necking. We comment finally on the relationship between necking and the shape of the underlying steady state constitutive curve for homogeneous extension.     

Soft plasmon theory of the new high-temperature superconductors

The newly-discovered high-temperature superconductors are close to, but on the metallic side of, a Mott metal — insulator transition. The incipient Mott transition manifests itself as a tendency towards a charge density wave instability, characterized by wave vectors appropriate for Fermi-surface nesting. In La₂CuO₄, this charge-density wave is commensurate with the lattice, and leads to a structural transition to a non-metallic state. We show that in the new superconducting materials, this incipient instability causes a drastic softening of the plasmon modes at these wave vectors. Indeed, there is some experimental evidence for such soft plasmons in these materials. Although these modes have a much lower frequency than ordinary plasmons, it is still much higher than the Debye-cut-off phonon frequency. They are strongly coupled to the conduction electrons, and induce an electron - electron attraction in a way analogous to phonons. Moreover, the soft-plasmon wave vectors are automatically those required for Cooper pairing, since they connect points on the Fermi surface. The Debye-energy prefactor in the BCS expression for the transition temperature is replaced by the considerably larger plasmon energy. Furthermore the strength of the interaction will ensure that the exponential factor is not too small. Note that this mechanism will lead to zero isotope effect. We suggest that the Ba or La f-orbitals play an important role in softening these plasma modes and strengthening the electron - plasmon coupling. This would explain why the presence of Ba or La seems to be favourable for high-temperature superconductivity.     

Tilted smectic layers of a liquid crystal between homeotropically treated plates

We investigated SmC^* films sandwiched between silane coated glass plates and observed formation of textures exhibiting a uniform tilt of the smectic layers with respect to the boundary plates. The layer tilt angle increases from zero to as the sample is cooled from the smectic A phase to room temperature. These films show linear electro-optical effects because the permanent polarization can be aligned so that it has a component parallel to the applied field without changing the layer structure. Our analysis indicates that mainly two effects determine the layer tilt. On the one hand, the surface tension tends to minimise the layer tilt. On the other hand, the surface energy promotes the director to be normal to the boundary plates. Received 17 July 1998     

耦合界面张力的三维流体界面不稳定性的格子Boltzmann模拟

采用介观格子Boltzmann方法模拟界面张力作用下三维流体界面的Rayleigh-Taylor (RT)不稳定性的增长过程,主要分析表面张力对流体界面动力学行为及尖钉和气泡后期增长的影响机制.首先发现三维RT不稳定性的发生存在临界表面张力(σ_c),其值随着流体Atwood数的增大而增大,且数值预测值与理论分析结果σ_c=(ρ_h-ρ₁)g/k~2一致.另外,随着表面张力的增大,不稳定性演化过程中界面卷吸程度和结构复杂性逐渐减弱,系统中界面破裂形成离散液滴的数目也显著减少.相界面的后期动力学行为也从非对称发展转向始终保持关于中轴线对称.尖钉与气泡振幅在表面张力较小时对其变化不显著,当表面张力增大到一定值后,可以有效地抑制尖钉与气泡振幅的增长.进一步发现,高雷诺数三维RT不稳定性在不同表面张力下均经历4个不同的发展阶段:线性阶段、饱和速度阶段、重加速和混沌混合阶段.尖钉与气泡在饱和速度阶段以近似恒定的速度增长,其渐进速度的值与修正的势流理论模型结果一致.受非线性Kelvin-Helmholtz旋涡的剪切作...     

Capillarity driven instability of a soft solid

We report the observation of a Plateau instability in a thin filament of solid gel with a very small elastic modulus. A longitudinal undulation of the surface of the cylinder reduces its area thereby triggering capillary instability, but is counterbalanced by elastic forces following the deformation. This competition leads to a nontrivial instability threshold for a solid cylinder. The ratio of surface tension to elastic modulus defines a characteristic length scale. The onset of linear instability is when the radius of the cylinder is one-sixth of this length scale, in agreement with theory presented here.     

Vacuum energy in the bag model

The vacuum energy of the Yang-Mills field is examined for the conditions of the bag model. The dominance of high-frequency effects results in a vacuum energy that decomposes naturally into a volume energy, a surface energy, and higher shape energies. These quantities are identified with the parameters of the bag model. The imposition of confining boundary conditions for all frequencies is shown to be inconsistent since this would result in the bag constant and certain of the shape tensions being infinite. The manner in which the boundary conditions should be relaxed at high frequency is discussed. The most naive procedure for relaxing the boundary conditions, which is to apply confining conditions only on modes of frequency less than some cutoff frequency, results in a negative bag constant and surface tension and would render the vacuum unstable against the spontaneous breaking of Poincaré invariance. Consideration of the manner by which the interacting electromagnetic field avoids a similar instability suggests that a more realistic way to relax the boundary conditions on the bag surface is to endow the vacuum exterior to the bag with a frequency-dependent dielectric constant and magnetic permeability. In this picture the stability of the vacuum is restored, the surface tension is finite and positive, and the bag constant is zero at least to lowest order in the coupling. It is pointed out that the fermion contributions to the bag constant and the surface tension may relate to the spontaneous breaking of chiral invariance. The aim throughout is to examine the bag model, as it relates to vacuum energy, strictly in its own terms with an emphasis on questions of principle.All too often is heard the alibi that since the theory itself is only approximate, the mathematics need be no better. In truth the opposite follows. Granted that the model represents but a part of nature, we are to find what such an ideal picture implies, a result strictly derived serves to test the model; a false result proves nothing but the failure of the theorist. To call an error by a sweeter name does not correct it. The oversimplification or extension afforded by the model is not error: the model, if well made, shows at least how the universe might behave, but logical errors bring us no closer to the reality of any universe. (Truesdell and Toupin 1960).